


Bittersweet Rivals

by klarolinedrabbles



Category: The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-11
Updated: 2019-02-11
Packaged: 2019-10-26 03:19:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17738006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/klarolinedrabbles/pseuds/klarolinedrabbles
Summary: Klaus and Caroline as collegiate academic rivals, with a tiny hint of a past. After years of tenacious banter at quiz bowl competitions, where will they ultimately stand?





	Bittersweet Rivals

**Author's Note:**

  * For [supernutellastuff](https://archiveofourown.org/users/supernutellastuff/gifts).



> Greetings, lovely! That was a mighty fine list of prompts you provided, so much that I had a difficult time choosing which to write! Ultimately, I went with academic rivals, and I hope so much that you like what I came up with!

                                           

“Fancy meeting you here, love.” Klaus teased, waltzing up to someone he was always looking forward to seeing. Although it’s no hidden secret that the same cannot be said for the other person. If it were humanly possible you’d see actual steam exiting her pores where she stood. A scoff escaped her before she’d even turned around to begrudgingly acknowledge him.

“At the Intercollegiate Championship Tournament, held on the same week in the same month every year, and that I’ve seen you at for the last two years?” She started, the quips and ball-busting talk starting almost immediately upon setting her eyes on him. “You know, for a weekend that’s supposed to determine our intelligence, you’re not off to a promising start.”

Klaus smirked, almost warmly, at the familiarity in the nature of their conversations. Caroline Forbes, a fourth year at Yale, was a force to be reckoned with, and he knew it. Admired it, even. Their relationship a long and broken one, but with a tension that for no lack of trying had yet to flourish.

“So antsy already?” He fired back. “Surely you can’t be this nervous already, Caroline. Beside’s, I’m sure Yale won’t take it too harshly when they don’t win.”

Caroline chuckled softly, her hand quickly rising to cover her mouth before it turned into uncontrollable giggling.

“Me, nervous?” She embarked, not shying away even remotely from Klaus’ pitiful attempt to psych her out. “We’re the defending champions. Please do remind me where Harvard placed last year, I can only remember the top three.” She jabbed, utterly ruthless in hitting where it hurts.

Klaus’ jaw hardened, last year in particular being a bit of a sore spot for him. It was the first year he ever got chosen to captain some of Harvard’s rounds. It’s the captain’s job to answer any and all bonus questions, and he missed a few too many that cost them a trophy. He vehemently detested the upper-hand Yale has on Harvard in the quiz bowl circuit. As of currently, Harvard has zero Division I ICT wins. The one’s they had having been stripped after illegal knowledge of the questions was discovered, and they’d yet to win since he started attending the University.

Letting the smug expression on Caroline’s face get the better of him, he took a cheap shot.

“And individually, where did you rank, sweetheart?”

Rivals as they may be, Klaus knew that Caroline’s other goal was to be ranked number one in the individual's. She managed third last year, her first ICT serving as Yale quiz bowl captain, but she always sought more for herself. It’s hard not to constantly be in awe of her. An ounce of guilt for his comment rose quickly when her face fell. But Caroline Forbes is never down for long, his words only affecting her for just  a quick moment, her armor back up as quickly as it came down.

“I finished in the top three, which is about ten spots higher than where you ranked, Klaus.” She bit back, her pride for herself overwhelming and bright.

Klaus found it difficult to not be enamored by her, but also frustrated that they weren’t on better terms. A circumstance that he has no one but himself to blame for.

Regaining his composure, he smiled at the feisty blonde before him, staring at her square in the eye.

“Touché, love.” He admitted defeat, his heart warming at the radiant smile now on her face. There was a remarkable beauty in her victories, and should she let him, he’ll spend a lifetime ensuring she knows it.

Caroline looked down, the shift in the atmosphere clear.

“Well, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go get my team checked in.” She quickly said, trying not to think about the look of disappointment he showed when she said it.

“Best to get your rest, Caroline. I don’t intend on being merciful tomorrow.” He called after her.

“Good. That will make it all the more fun when I win.” She hit back. “Yale’s team has beaten Harvard in landslides every year since I’ve been here, pretty disappointing for a school that’s supposed to be our rival. Makes you wonder why anyone puts so much weight on their ancient rivalry, doesn’t it?” She promptly replied, whirling around and walking away without so much as another glance. The hurt in her words clear as day, and the genuine meaning to them undeniable.

* * *

“Come on, you can’t seriously think Jane Austen triumphs over Bukowski?”

Preposterous statement aside, Caroline was offended at the insinuation that she didn’t mean what she said. It was early in the afternoon, they’d made it through half of the quiz bowl already, and were now gathered in one of the hotel’s ballrooms for lunch. She was only 20 minutes into this luncheon and she’s lost count how many times she’s rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, I’m sorry Bukowski’s overwhelmingly sexist ‘Factotum’ isn’t on my list of revered literature. What part was it that you related to, Stefan, the narrator’s final realization that he was a failure with no motivation, or the crabs?” She said sweetly, never having been fond of Stefan Salvatore. He was a 5th year senior at Princeton, and if his last name didn’t give away how his father bought his way into the university and it’s quiz bowl team, his mouth would.

She heard Klaus choke on a sip of his water a few seats down, and pushed down the part of her that felt elated about that.

“Ouch, gorgeous. You could at least wait till after the final rounds to murder one of my teammates.” Enzo said, fighting down a burst of laughter.

“In her defense, he practically invited her to do it.” Klaus chimed in, smiling into his food.

Enzo and Klaus were two of the captains she had the most familiarity with, all three of them having started at their Ivy League’s the same year.

There was a small semblance of comfort in their presence at these competitions. In a place where everyone’s as cutthroat as the next person, allies were appreciated. Although it took her quite some time before she was able to view Klaus as an ally in this social circle, even just to herself. She doesn’t admit it to herself too often, but she harbors a hefty amount of anger geared towards him for their inaugural year together.

Neither one of them joined their school’s academic teams till their sophomore years, and it was that year that she’d come to know the bold and enigmatic Klaus Mikaelson. Having been from a small town in Virginia, she didn’t really understand the seriousness in the rivalries. She was just a girl who got into one of the best universities in the world, and was proud to be there.

Which is why when she first met Klaus, and insinuated she’d love to continue their conversation of Victorian literature outside of the academic tournament circuits, she’d been taken back, to say the least, when he made a mockery of her invitation and citing their schools rivalry for the animosity. Harvard finished fifth that year, and Yale finished second, but who’s counting?

Caroline never quite got past the sting of that very public swerve. In fact, she swears she feels the embarrassment from that moment every time she attends one of these collegiate events.

She never allowed that to fuel her determination to be the best, but merely add to it.

“You alright there, gorgeous?” Enzo’s spoke to her in a hushed tone, successfully pulling her out of her thoughts.

“Perfect.” She replied, a sweet smile working its way onto her face.

“How demonic does it make me if I was almost hoping that wasn’t the case? At least that way we’d stand a chance against you.” He joked, his elbow coming out to jostle her.

“Very funny, Enzo.” She laughed. “Beside’s, you wouldn’t stand a chance against me even if I wasn’t fine.” She joked back.

“You play a rough game, Caroline. One of these days I’m gonna get you out of this setting and see what you’re made of then, hmm?” He proclaimed boldy, finally managing to surprise her.

“I just might hold you to that.” She said timidly, not entirely confident in such a statement.

Making the mistake of glancing around the table, her eyes landed on Klaus who had what she could only describe as a venomous glare directed towards her side of the table.

Letting her gaze linger on his, she released a shaky breath, her emotions getting the better of her. For whatever resentment she harbored towards Klaus, their tumultuous relationship that started on a sour note proceeded to develop into the familiar back and forth they now know.

She’d be hiding from the truth if she’d said it wasn’t something she’d learned to depend on, to be fond of, and that was more difficult to process than any academic quiz bowl could ever be.

* * *

Klaus looked on at Yale and Stanford deadlocked in the final round of quizzing. His gaze permanently fixed on the concentrated blonde at the head of the first table, a death grip with one hand on her buzzer, the other firmly holding a pen to a notepad in front of her.

Enzo sat beside him, the both of them superbly disappointed at their own teams’ finish, but entirely supportive of Caroline.

Not that she needed any support, she was near perfect today. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her.

With Caroline as captain for 12 of the 14 rounds, Yale only lost one round, and were the uncontested winners of the National Academic Quiz Tournament. This final round here was for the individual rankings, Yale and Columbia having the most players in close races for the rankings.

Having just finished Harvard’s final round, a victory, in which they battled for third place against Dartmouth, he was surprisingly pleased with himself.

If not for the Harvard team's placement in this competition, nor for the fact that he'll rank individually in the top ten, but because Enzo was convenient enough to enlighten him about his sentiments towards Caroline. More specifically, his sentiments lack thereof in relation to Caroline. A less promising note was the revelation that most of the students he saw in the academic circle year-round had bets on them. 

It would appear his remarkable screw-up when he first met Caroline didn't just leave an everlasting imprint in his mind, but in everyone else's as well. 

“Alright, here we go, last question. If Caroline gets this, and the three bonus questions after, she did it.” Enzo tells him, hunched over at the front of his seat biting his nails like a madman, his eyes on the clock as the final question was asked.

“One of these two characters tells the other that even Niobe remembered to eat, and claims that Zeusʹs hall has two jars of blessings and curses. Hermes takes the guise of Polyctorʹs son to guide one of these two men, who tells the other to “remember your own father.” These two men arrange a twelve‐day truce after the return of a* body that had been dragged behind a chariot. For 10 points—name these two Homeric characters, a Greek hero and the Trojan king whose son he killed.” The questioner asked.

Caroline buzzed in before the clock ran out, signaling her entitlement to the bonus questions should she get this first question right.

“Achilles and Priam.” She fired out without conferring with her teammates.

“Correct. For 10 points each, This king asserted control over the papacy by appointing his countryman Bruno as the first German pope, Gregory V. Name this Holy Roman Emperor who supported Christianization efforts like those of Adalbert of Prague. He allied with Boleslaw I of Poland at the Congress of Gniezno to fight the pagan Lutici.”

“Otto the third.”

“That is correct. Ottoʹs other Christianization efforts helped convert this first Christian king of Hungary, who was born with the name Vajk.”

“Stephen I.”

“Correct. After making Rome his capital, Otto crushed the Crescentii family in a siege of this building. To increase security, Pope Nicholas II built the Passetto di Borgo to connect this building to the Vatican.”

Klaus leaned so forward in his seat he could very well fall right off. His heart warming at the smirk now etched onto Caroline’s face.

“Castel Sant’Angelo.” She answered triumphantly, a beautiful glow to her.

“That is correct, Yale wins. Caroline Forbes will finish number one in the individual rankings.”

Klaus shoots up in elation, his hands clapping furiously along with the rest of the audience’s, Enzo included.

“She bloody well did it.” Enzo remarked.

Klaus looked on at Caroline engulfed in the arms of her teammates, catching her gaze. “Did you ever doubt she would?”

* * *

Caroline anticipated and prepared for many things today. There was the possibility Yale would win, but she would lose, and vice versa. Then there was the possibility that she’d lost at both, or win at both. All those outcomes she planned for, but in none of those scenarios did she expect to end up in her hotel room with Klaus.

It was almost one o’clock in the morning and here they stood, in front of her bed, in pajamas. He showed up only just a few moments ago, relieved to find her still awake. She’d let him in against better judgement, but he’d yet to make a motion.

“Okay seriously? We know thousands of words, in multiple languages, might I add, and you’re just gonna stand there and not say anything?” She snapped, the tension so thick she felt it was suffocating her.

“I’m not entirely sure I know where to start.” He muttered quietly.  

“Fine, then I’ll help. You can start by congratulating me!” She said playfully.

Klaus chuckled, his posture becoming much more relaxed at her initiative. Which was thankfully what she was going for.

“Forgive me, love, I’m trying to determine how best to say---”

“That you were a moron for rebuking my asking you out two years ago because our schools hate each other?” She finished for him, holding absolutely nothing back.

Klaus’ mouth gaped, a soft blush creeping up to his cheeks.

“Because if that is what you came here to say, I only have one thing to ask.”

“And what’s that, love?”

“Could you have taken any longer?”

Klaus laughed out loud this time, counting his blessings that he somehow still had a shot with this magnificent girl that he was stupid enough to let slip away once before. And for something so juvenile.

“With my stubbornness I’m sure I had it in me. But seeing you up there today, be as remarkably brilliant as the day I met you, I’m baffled that I wasted so much time.” He declared.

Caroline’s smile at his words lit up the entire room, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Before she could voice whatever she cooked up in her head, Caroline sprung forward pressing her lips to his.

Klaus stumbled for just a moment to retain his balance, his arms quickly wrapping around her waist to press her to him and hold her steady as she stood on the tip of her toes.

Caroline’s tongue slid out, prying his lips open and meeting his own. Moving her loose arms around his neck to cup his face in her hands, to meet his feverish kisses.

Klaus groaned into Caroline’s mouth, his mind reeling with several thoughts, most potently how he’d do everything possible to never let this go.

Caroline pulled away slowly, her breathing fast and heavy.

Klaus gently grasped her hips as she lowered her feet to the ground, pressing his forehead to hers.

“You know, we’re both gonna be fifth year seniors next year.” She noted,.

“Hmm, so I’ve heard.”

“Well, seeing as how this can all be traced back to you, you should know I have no intention of stepping foot in Massachusetts.”

Klaus tipped his head back, confused at the implication.

“So, you’re gonna have to step into enemy territory and come see _me_ in Connecticut.” She finished, a devious smile directed towards him.

Klaus grinned, happier than he’s been in quite some time, before nodding in defeat.

“I’m sure I’ll find something there to make it worthwhile.” He agreed, leaning down to join their lips once more, not intending to stop anytime soon. He'd wasted enough time, and he'll be damned if he wastes anymore. 


End file.
